Thank you to every City employee and visitor to City Hall who contributed to our third annualSock Drive. We collected over 1,000 pairs of socks, and over 80 beanies, scarves and gloves, plus a waterproof coat and a nice pair of outdoor shoes. And maybe other treasures for Transition Projects volunteers to find when they sort through the treasures. The total is a little down from last year, because we only placed official collection bins in City Hall rather than at multiple locations. Many thanks to employees who brought in donations from other City sites.

Special thanks to Sock It To Mesock company who once again donated 300 pairs of socks. David Shaff, Director of the Portland Water Bureau, and Carmen Merlo, Director of the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management and her staff, also donated hundreds of pairs of warm socks to help clients of Transition Projects.

This is what over 1,000 pairs of socks and dozens of warm hats looks like, stored in my conference room with the chair placed to show scale. I especially appreciate the snazzy pair of zebra socks, which I hope will bring a smile to the wearer.

Many thanks to all who gave, to Sara Hussein on my staff for helping with the project, and to Mary Ann Schwab of the Sunnyside neighborhood for suggesting the concept in 2009.